What If?...Family Ties
by LissaMarie
Summary: What if Harm hadn't been an only child? What if he had a twin sister named Liz? Would he had been different? Here's my take...


Title: What If?...Family Ties  
  
Author: LissaMarie (Malysa)  
  
Email: MelMarie612@aol.com  
  
Rating: PG--just because I want to be careful. It could possibly be a G.  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine. I remember saying that sometime before...  
  
Category: AU (alternate universe)  
  
Spoilers: Well, since it's set in the 1960's, 70's, and early 80's, I'd say not   
many. Only things having to do with Harm Sr.'s MIA status and Harm's mother,   
Trish's, second husband, Frank Burnett.  
  
Archive: BTL--others just let me know.  
  
Feedback: Has anyone ever said no to it? Well, I don't want any...Just   
kidding. I love it. It makes me write faster.  
  
Summery: What if Harm hadn't been an only child? What if he had a twin   
sister named Liz? Would he had been different? Here's my take...  
  
Author's Note: This fic is meant to be an introduction to a character I've had   
in mind for a while, Liz Rabb. She's Harm's bad-ass sister who also followed   
in her father's footsteps as a naval officer and aviator. She is the poster girl   
for tough, confident and independent women anywhere. She's the best .   
I might use her in future fics. This fic is also part of a series of stand alone   
fics that ask my favorite question...What if?  
  
  
  
Family Ties  
By LissaMarie (Malysa)   
  
  
October 25, 1963  
1435 Local  
Naval Medical Center  
San Diego, California  
  
"Darling, come meet your children," Patricia Rabb smiled at her husband,   
Harmon, when she noticed him standing in the doorway of her hospital room.   
She held in her arms two precious bundles, one pink and the other blue.  
  
Harmon walked over slowly in awe of the calm and happy woman laying in the   
bed. It was only hours ago that she was screaming and cursing his very being   
just down the hall. He sat down in a chair set up at her bedside and looked at   
the faces partially covered by the bulky hospital receiving blankets.  
  
His children. A little boy he and Trish had decided to name after him, and a   
little girl--his little Elizabeth. He could just imagine them growing up. Harm   
Jr. attending the Academy, and Elizabeth doing whatever she set her heart on.   
He just knew she would be like her mother--beautiful, intelligent, strong-willed,  
...so many wonderful things.  
  
He took both babies in his arms and kissed their foreheads with a strong   
sense of foreboding that he would never share with his wife.  
  
He could imagine their future, but he couldn't see himself being there for it.  
  
  
Christmas 1969  
1945 Local  
Rabb Residence  
San Diego, California  
  
Six year old Harmon Rabb Jr. watched as the man in the Navy uniform--a Lt.   
Commander he recalled from his father's lessons on ranks--and the other   
man with the book in his hand told his mother something that he knew would   
change his world. They used words and phrases that were to large for most   
6 year old boys to understand, but Harm understood just fine.  
  
"The United States Navy" was who his dad worked for across the ocean.  
  
"Regrets to inform you" meant that they were sorry they had to tell his mom   
something.  
  
"Your husband" was his dad.  
  
"Shot down over Hanoi" meant that his plane had crashed in that country across   
the ocean, Viet Nam.  
  
"Missing in Action" was what they called people that they couldn't find.  
  
Everything else was just accenting on that. Harm's father, Lt. Harmon "Hammer"   
Rabb Sr. of the US Navy, was lost in Viet Nam, and they weren't even looking for   
him. They just called him MIA and told everyone that he could possibly be alive.   
He was--of that the little boy was certain.  
  
"Harm?" a small voice whimpered behind him. He turned to see his twin sister,   
Elizabeth--or Lizzie as everyone called her, looking at him with a blanket wrapped   
tightly around her shoulders and tear-filled eyes. She had obviously been woken   
from her nap on the living room sofa by their mother's loud sobbing.  
  
"Come here, Lizzie," Harm whispered back opening his arms to embrace her.   
She ran to him and cried on his shoulder begging him in a breathless murmur   
to explain to her what was going on. "Dad's gone. His plane went down. He's   
MIA."  
  
Her brother's words caused her to look up sharply. They confused her, but she   
understood their basic meaning. Their father had gone away to fight a war like   
he was suppose to, and now he wasn't coming back. Anger surged through her.   
She was anger at God, the Navy, the war, her father, and every other person on   
the planet.  
  
Her tears dried up, and she decided that they would be the last ones she would   
ever cry.  
  
  
March 15, 1976  
1655 Local  
Rabb Residence  
San Diego, California  
  
"We have to get rid of him," 12 year old Harm whispered to his sister. His eyes   
narrowed on the man--Frank, an annoying part of his mind reminded him--that   
was talking with his mother in the kitchen.  
  
"Well, he looks pretty into mom, so we'll probably have to kill him," Liz, as she   
preferred to be called, said with a monotonous voice.  
  
"I'm serious, Liz," Harm snapped keeping his voice low but harsh.  
  
"So am I," Liz threw back without a hint of humor in her voice.  
  
"Harmon, Elizabeth, come in here for dinner!" Trish called from the kitchen.  
  
Both sighed and stood up. As loyal as they were to their father's memory, they   
would never disappoint their mother. They went into the small dining area of the   
kitchen hoping that they would be able to keep down the lasagna Trish had   
spend the previous evening preparing.  
  
  
November 12, 1979  
0730 Local  
Burnett Residence  
La Jolla, California  
  
A 16 year old Liz tried her best to hurry out to her boyfriend's car before her mother   
saw her. She was already running late for school, and she in no way wanted to   
face her mother this particular morning.  
  
"Liz, where is your brother?" Trish asked. Her red rimmed eyes and disheveled   
appearance were evidence of the turmoil she was feeling.  
  
"I don't know, mother. It wasn't my turn to watch him. Maybe if you were paying him--  
or me--half the attention you show Frank-"  
  
"Don't you dare say that to me! If you know where Harmon is you had better tell me!"   
Trish yelled upset at her daughter's accusations and frustrated by her son's disappearance.  
  
"Viet Nam," Liz informed her mother with a dead calm in her voice. She noted the   
surprise and horror on her mother's face. "That's right, mom. While you were   
planning daddy's replacement, Harm was planning on bringing him back home."   
She stomped out of the house barely remembering to grab her bag that was placed   
next to the front door. Her boyfriend, R.J., looked at her in concern for a second until   
she gave him a dirty look. He opened her door for her, and she got in and slammed   
the door shut. They rode to the school in silence.  
  
Patricia Rabb-Burnett fell to the floor and sobbed.  
  
  
June 11, 1982  
1345 Local  
La Jolla High School  
La Jolla, California  
  
"Elizabeth Arabella Rabb," the school principal, Mr. Snyder, called from the podium.   
He held in his hands her future--her high school diploma. She had already made   
her valedictorian speech and was more than ready for the actual graduation part of   
graduation. Once she got on the stage, she grabbed the rolled up paper from the   
man who had encouraged her to go for her goals since the day she had entered the   
halls of La Jolla High School. Mr. Snyder gave her a proud smile in response.  
  
"Harmon David Rabb Jr.," Mr. Snyder called next. Harm walked up to the stage in   
different spirits than his sister. He had a class rank of second because of his sister,   
and that meant that there was absolutely nothing good about this day. It was just   
another major event his father had missed. He took his diploma and walked back   
off the stage. He didn't even bother going back to the group of seniors who were   
obviously anxious to throw their covers in the air. He had never understood that tradition.  
  
"Have you thought about the fact that in about a month, we'll be attending the United   
States Naval Academy?" Liz asked looking up at the sky from underneath the cover   
of a tree. She had already removed her navy blue gown and cap, and they sat on the   
ground next to her.  
  
"Seems unreal, doesn't it? I still can't believe you decided to join the Navy. You   
HATE the Navy," Harm said sitting down next to her. He pulled off his graduation   
clothing and threw it with his twin's.  
  
"I want to fly. I NEED to fly. Just like you," Liz explained. She put her head down   
on her brother's shoulder. Everyone always thought it was strange how close they   
were, but to them, it would be strange not to be. "Besides, I don't HATE the Navy.   
I hate the world. I hate the war. There's a difference."  
  
"I had a weird dream last night," Harm told her. His face scrunched up as if he were   
deep in thought. "It was WAY out there. We were lawyers."  
  
Liz couldn't stop herself, and she burst out in laughter. "Lawyers? My, God, what   
did you have to drink before you feel asleep?"  
  
"That wasn't the strangest part. The weirdest part was that we actually seemed   
happy with it. We both chose it over flying."  
  
"That's it. No more alcoholic beverages for you, big brother," Liz laughed.  
  
Harm joined her because just the thought of him ever choosing a court room over   
a plane was ridiculous.  
  
~The End~ 


End file.
